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Outstanding album alert! Released late in 2004, this full-length debut from this Montreal six-piece outfit is really quite brilliant. Though inspired by the passing of key members (and husband and wife), Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, grandparents, hence the name 'Funeral', this album is far from a dour and melancholic work, instead possessing an almost zealous celebration of life. Taking the subtler end of "indie rock" history as their musical blueprint (from Talking Heads and Wire, through to Slint and the Pixies, through to the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, through to the likes of Polyphonic Spree and Iron and Wine), Arcade Fire make expansive emotional "pop" musical that breathes and pulses with vibrant depth, thanks in no small part to the bands considerable musical arsenal (guitars, bass, piano, accordion, percussion, synth, xlyophone, etc), and their frequent and wanton use of the strings (violins, cello and viola - of which the gospel influenced and stunningly epic "Wake Up" is a particularly good example). Odd parts even remind one of New Zealand's own Verlaines and Split Enz, while tracks such as the delirious four-part "Neighborhood" ("Tunnels", "Laika", "Power Out", "Kettles"), the thumping new-wavish "Rebellion (Lies)", and the frail and brooding "In The Backseat", just get better and better with each and every listen. Brave, empowering, passionate and ambitious, this is a near perfect indie-rock masterpiece. Highly recommended. (smokecds.com)
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